Hume Empowering Communities

The Hume Empowering Communities initiative is funded through the Victorian Government’s Building Safer Communities Program.

The initiative has been established for organisations and incorporated groups from the Hume community who support young people with crime prevention and community safety activities.

Funding was available to support the community to design and deliver initiatives that take an evidence-informed, innovative approach to address local issues impacting on crime and perceptions of safety.

Discover stories and insights from some of the funded organisations and young people. Learn how they worked towards creating safer and more vibrant community.

Round 2 - Hume Empowering Communities Funded Projects

Youth-led Grant - Stream 2

Round 2 Stream 2 - Youth-led Grant (Closed)

The Hume Empowering Communities Action Group is pleased to announce the successful projects for Round 2, Stream 2 (Youth-led Grant) of the Hume Empowering Communities initiative. Young people will drive, plan and deliver projects in Hume for and with other young people any age between 8-24 years, supported by an organisation (auspice organisation).

Total funding of $43,230 will be administered across six youth-led projects listed below. These projects will commence from September 2023 and will be delivered through to 30 June 2024.

Youth Group / Young Person	Auspice Organisation
Ahmad Yousuf (Individual)	Australian Multicultural Community Centre
Victorian Afghan Youth Association	Victorian Afghan Youth Association
Youth Advocacy Group (YAG)	Orygen
Glenroy EFKS Youth Group	Engage Pasefika Inc.
Leano Pheto (Individual)	Australian Multicultural Community Centre
All Saints Teen Clubs	All Saints

Hume City Council, Department of Justice and Community Safety and the Hume Empowering Communities Action Group have worked together to develop the common goal for the funding that “children and young people (8-24) are provided with opportunities to strengthen their engagement in education and/or employment, live in a safe and connected community, and have nurturing relationships with family or caregivers”.

The initiative provides opportunities to develop life skills in a family, education, employment and/or community context; connection to culturally responsive services and communities; support for education, employment and individual learning needs; promote healthy and positive connections with the broader community, family, role models and caregivers; and opportunities for skill-building and leadership.

Ahmad Yousuf (Individual)

Project Title: Hassan Short Film

Auspice by: Australian Multicultural Community Centre

Auspice Organisation Contact: Katey Ahmed - Director

Auspice Organisation Email: info@ausmcc.org.au

Auspice Organisation Phone Number: 0422 677 012

Hassan Short Film is a short film addressing peer pressure and association with delinquent peers. Emphasising the positive effects of good decision making and discourage involvement in negative influences.

The project aims to enhance safety and/or crime prevention for young people in Hume by:

Raising awareness and understanding of peer pressure and association with delinquent peers by teaching young people about the consequences of criminal behaviour; and
Promoting healthy decision making among young individuals.

Victorian Afghan Youth Association

Project Title: Building Bridges: Enhancing Social Integration and Empowerment among Afghan Youth in Hume

Auspice by: Victorian Afghan Youth Association

Auspice Organisation Contact: Altaf - Founder and Chairman

Auspice Organisation Email: info@vaya.org.au

Auspice Organisation Phone Number: 0469 034 667

Building Bridges: Enhancing Social Integration and Empowerment among Afghan Youth in Hume project will address the challenges faced by Afghan youth by providing support, opportunities, and a safe space for Afghan young people to flourish.

The project aims to enhance safety and/or crime prevention for young people in Hume by:

Social integration and inclusion: to reduce the likelihood of social isolation and alienation through creating a supportive and inclusive environment for Afghan young people.
Empowerment and leadership development: to empower Afghan young people by providing them with the necessary skills, knowledge, and opportunities to become active contributors to their community.
Community engagement and positive role modelling: to encourage Afghan young people to actively engage in positive and constructive activities.

Youth Advocacy Group (YAG)

Project Title: Headstrong Podcast

Auspice by: Orygen

Auspice Organisation Contact: Brendan Pawsey, Program Manager, Primary Clinical Services

Auspice Organisation Email: Contact - Orygen, Revolution in Mind

Auspice Organisation Phone Number: 9966 9100

Headstrong Podcast project shares important information to young people in the community in an accessible way through presenting a podcast series focusing on a variety of topics.

The project aims to enhance safety and/or crime prevention for young people in Hume by:

To promote help-seeking behaviour and awareness of available services (mental health support, financial counsellors, housing support etc).
To inform young people about adaptative coping strategies and provide psychoeducation to enhance physical, mental and emotional safety in young people in Hume.

Glenroy EFKS Youth Group

Project Title: Pasefika Youth Day

Auspice by: Engage Pasefika Inc.

Auspice Organisation Contact: Anasina Gray-Barberio - Lead Community Organiser/Founder

Auspice Organisation Email: admin@engagepasefika.au

Auspice Organisation Phone Number: 0434 497 197

Pasefika Youth Day Project will strengthen social and cultural connections amongst young Pasefika people through organising a youth-led event.

The project aims to enhance safety and/or crime prevention for young people in Hume by:

To provide a culturally specific youth-led program that is culturally safe to enable and inspire the broader community to steer away from crime.
To provide opportunities for young people to be exposed to Pasefika leaders and roles models that are achieving success and showing what is possible.
This provide a space where young people are visible, centring their voices in decisions that affect them.
To demystify biases and stigma of Pasefika young people.

Leano Pheto (Individual)

Project Title: Raising Community Awareness and Educate End Users about Cybercrime and its Prevention

Auspice by: Australian Multicultural Community Centre

Auspice Organisation Contact: Katey Ahmed - Director

Auspice Organisation Email: info@ausmcc.org.au

Auspice Organisation Phone Number: 0422 677 012

Raising Community Awareness and Educate End Users about Cybercrime and its Prevention project will improve young people’s ability to prevent and respond to cyber safety issues in their communities through hosting an event to promote awareness of cyber-attacks.

The project aims to enhance safety and/or crime prevention for young people in Hume by:

Increase participants awareness of Cyber-attacks risks and impacts.
Increase participants knowledge about Cyber-attacks support services.
Increase participants confidence, skills to address/identify online safety issues and seek professional advice.

All Saints Teen Club

Project Title: All Saints Safety Day - T-shirt design competition project

Auspice by: All Saints

Auspice Organisation Contact: Roshan Silva - President

Auspice Organisation Email: allsaints.sc@gmail.com

Auspice Organisation Phone Number: 0433 175 170

All Saints Safety Day - T-shirt design competition project will raise awareness in safety in Hume and cultivate safety messages through slogans or artwork.

The project aims to enhance safety and/or crime prevention for young people in Hume by:

To raise awareness in safety and crime prevention for young people in Hume.
To promote positive thinking via slogans on T-shirt designs and arts.
To acknowledge, accept and validate young people views on safety to the general public.

Youth Participation and Empowerment Grant- Stream 1

Round 2 Stream 1 (Closed)

The Hume Empowering Communities Action Group is pleased to announce the successful projects for Round 2, Stream 1 (Youth Participation and Empowerment Grant) of the Hume Empowering Communities initiative.

Total funding of $200,000 will be administered across three Hume-based projects to be developed and led by Banksia Gardens Community Centre, Upfield Soccer Club and Waves of Wellness. These projects will commence from February 2023 and will be delivered through to 30 June 2024.

Upfield Soccer Club

Project Title: Young Refugees Kick-Start Training and Employment at the Upfield Soccer Club

Project Contact: Walid Hanna (Club President)

Organisation Website: Upfield Soccer Club

Organisation Email: info@upfieldsc.com.au

Organisation Phone Number: 0413 030 761

The project will work with young people aged 15 to 24 years, who are recently arrived migrants and refugees from Iraq and Syria and have had little opportunity to pursue training and employment and face multiple barriers to entering employment.

The Upfield Soccer Club is seeking suitably trained coaches, team managers and canteen staff and will work with young people over 12 months to facilitate training and employment for young people to work as coaches, team managers and canteen.

Banksia Gardens Community Services

Project Title: It’s 4-U

Project Contact: Paul Atkinson

Organisation Website: Banksia Gardens Community Services

Organisation Email: admin@banksiagardens.org.au

Organisation Phone Number: 9309 8531

It’s-4-U is a primary crime prevention project using community development principles, targeting at-risk young people aged 10 to 24, to enhance their self-confidence, employability, and educational options.

The program is based on three activity streams (horticulture and cooking, arts and fashion, and bike mechanics). The project will run for 12 months and work with 60 young people who will each be connected to one or more elements in the three activity streams.

Action learning principles will be embedded in real-world projects, and participants will be able to see the impact of their work on the broader community.

Waves of Wellness Foundation

Project Name: Empowering Young People through Surf Therapy

Project Officer: Heather Lynn

Organisation Website: Waves of Wellness Foundation

Organisation Email: info@foundationwow.org

Organisation Phone Number: 0459 041 832

This project will include eight innovative, evidence-informed 8-week surf therapy programs for young people aged 12-24 in Hume who are at risk, or currently experiencing, mental health challenges, social isolation, and/or disengagement in the community.

The project aims to increase opportunities for participation in community engagement, mental health support and physical activity, whilst creating a safe, supportive, and fun space for young people to develop meaningful community connections.

The programs will be held at URBNSURF, Melbourne's wave pool in Tullamarine, running from August 2023 to June 2024 in blocks of 8-weeks duration.

Round 1 - Hume Empowering Communities Funded Projects

Round 1 Funding (Closed)

Hume Empowering Communities Action Group is pleased to announce the successful projects for Round 1 of the Hume Empowering Communities initiative.

Total funding of $306,769 will be administered across five Hume-based projects to be developed and led by Goonawarra Neighbourhood House, Igbo Association of Victoria Australia, Northern Community Legal Centre, headspace Craigieburn and Hume-Whittlesea Local Learning & Employment Network. These projects commenced on 1 March 2022 and will be delivered throughout 2022 with two projects continuing in 2023.

Hume City Council, Department of Justice and Community Safety and the Hume Empowering Communities Action Group, which includes representatives from local community organisations, worked together to develop the Round 1 common goal for the funding - that children entering adolescence develop and maintain life skills, engage in school, and have safe, stable and nurturing relationships with parents and/or caregivers.

The initiative provides opportunities for young people to develop life skills in a family and school and/or community context, connection to culturally responsive family and legal services and support for school transitions and individual learning needs.

Quick Response Stream

The Quick Response Stream offers funds of up to $20,000 for small activities and/or pilot projects that need to be completed by 30 December 2022. These small projects must demonstrate evidence of immediate impact on the Hume community. These projects must be completed in Round 1 - March 2022 to December 2022.

Project title: Engaging Social Circles

Name of Organisation: Igbo Association of Victoria Australia

Project Contact: Elvis Nwachukwu (President)

Project Contact Email: president@igbovictoria.org.au

Organisation Email: Abimbola.Odetayo@gmail.com

Organisation Phone Number: 0433 280 097

Engaging Social Circles 2022 program utilises a combination/blend of contemporary and traditional Igbo games as well as educational sessions for young people aged 8-14 to develop and maintain important life skills in line with Igbo cultural values. The program activities aim to empower young people through connecting participants to culturally responsive services, supporting school transitions, and strengthening connections between young people, their parents and fellow community members. Engaging Social Circles aims to increase awareness of safety, re-engage families impacted by pandemic isolation and hardship as well as improve mental health outcomes.

Project Title: Teens in the Kitchen

Name of Organisation: Goonawarra Neighbourhood House

Project Contact: Susan Burke (Acting Manager)

Project Contact Email: susan@goonawarranh.com.au

Organisation Email: admin@goonawarranh.com.au

Organisation Phone Number: (03) 9740 6627

Teens in the Kitchen will be facilitated for young people aged 12-14 living in Sunbury and Goonawarra to promote healthy social connection, participation in the community and self-care skills for a positive future. This program will teach young adolescents how to cook simple and healthy meals to improve physical and mental health outcomes. Teens in the Kitchen will be facilitated in partnership with a youth worker to guide and support participants, as well as connecting them to local services as required. It is through teaching young people cooking skills, that the program aims to improve their confidence in their abilities to complete tasks and develop psychosocial competency in comprehension, social skills, budgeting, healthy meals, and general nutrition.

Innovation Stream

The Innovation Stream offers funds of up to $50,000 for larger activities and/or projects that demonstrate innovation and test new, more effective approaches to improve community safety and crime prevention in Hume. These activities and/or projects must be completed in Round 1 - March 2022 to December 2022.

Project title: Where Safety Begins

Name of Organisation: Northern Community Legal Centre

Project Contact: Tania McKenna (Partnerships and Community Development Manager)

Project Contact Email: tmckenna@northernclc.org.au

Organisation Email: admin@northernclc.org.au

Organisation Phone Number: (03) 9310 4376

Where Safety Begins aims to mitigate trauma arising from family violence through providing a safe and interactive environment for young people aged 10-14 to understand their experience, build confidence in seeking early intervention and establish strong support networks. Utilising Hume based partnerships with community organisations and schools, this program delivers six modules which combine learning with fun and interactive activities to facilitate learning. Where Safety Begins will educate participants on identifying their needs, build upon personal strengths, engage with trusted supports and self-advocate when it comes to decisions that impact their lives. The program will build their capacity to manage emotions, implement self-care strategies and gain a sense of control in situations where they have typically felt powerless. Where Safety Begins adopts a sustainable approach through delivering capacity building workshops to teachers and youth program leaders to support integration of the tools and activities into current curriculums and programs run by partner agencies.

Impact Stream

The Impact Stream offers funds for larger projects that need to be developed and delivered over the specified period that can demonstrate significant impact on community safety and crime prevention in Hume. These will be funded up to $200,000 delivered across two funding rounds.

Project Title: You’re the Man – A Healthy Young Men Project

Name of Organisation: Orygen (headspace Craigieburn)

Project Contact: Dayna Minovski (Clinical Services Manager)

Project Contact Email: dayna.minovski@orygen.org.au

Organisation Email: info-headspaceCraigieburn@orygen.org.au

Organisation Phone Number: (03) 8338 0919

In partnership with headspace Craigieburn and The Man Cave, You’re the Man – A Healthy Young Men Project will deliver workshops to engage young men aged 8-14 and their mentors in Hume in local environments already accessed including schools, religious spaces, barbershops, sports clubs and trade programs. These workshops promote healthy psycho-social responses to their challenges, accessing appropriate support and overcome expectations of traditional masculinity which prevent healthy development/maturation. It is through the development of these skills, young people will gain the ability to have meaningful engagement in the community and less likely to be perpetrators of violent crime, including family violence. Capacity building workshops run by local community leaders will also be delivered for mentors to train in identifying needs, providing support, and facilitate progress in their mentees. You’re the Man – A Healthy Young Men Project adopts a strength based approach to build emotional resilience, foster social support networks, and encourage positive development in young men of Hume.

Project Title: Imagineering Plus

Name of Organisation: Hume-Whittlesea Local Learning & Employment Network

Project Contact: Nicky Leitch (Executive Officer - Hume)

Project Contact Email: nicky.l@hwllen.com.au

Organisation Email: hwllen@hwllen.com.au

Organisation Phone Number: (03) 9309 5500

Imagineering Plus as adopts an early intervention approach to school disengagement, while also developing education pathways to work for young people in Hume. The core modules of the program aim to empower children and young people in grade 5 and 6 in 2022 and grade 5, 6 and Year 7 in 2023, to “think big” and expand future career aspirations. The program provides an avenue for participants to reflect on their own interests and identify their strengths and attributes. Imagineering Plus partners with primary and secondary schools, and other community stakeholders who support the activities and workshops all conducted in a safe and nurturing space at school. Imagineering Plus aims to build the confidence and esteem of young people in continuing education, instil hope and recognise opportunities for a successful future. Welfare staff will be present to connect vulnerable families to required culturally appropriate support services to improve participant outcomes.